Xavi: Messi is better than Pele or Maradona © EuroFootball.com

Xavi claims that this team is the strongest in the past 20 years and Lionel Messi is the greatest football player of all time.

"Blaugrana" won the third consecutive Spanish league title last season and triumphed in the Champions League tournament.

"Throughout history we have seen many great teams, such as Brazil with Pele, Ajax with Johan Cruyff, Milan with Arrigo Sacchi," Bild quoted Xavi. "But in the last two decades, Barcelona has been dominant."

He also praised Messi: "Lionel is the greatest player of all time, surpassing Pele, Diego Maradona, and Cruyff. We must protect him, because without this player, we would not be who we are."